Why and How Can You Prepare Your Businesses for End of Coronavirus Outbreak
Right now, when companies and businesses all over the world are struggling with the crisis caused by the coronavirus outbreak, thinking about how one is going to market their products and brand after this whole thing seems irrational. Some may even fear that it will never end!
Although deep down we all know that crises always end. Many even start expecting and preparing for the times when massive lockdowns and other consequences of the outbreak will be over.
There is a lot of talk about returning to “normal” after the pandemic. Although the world is hardly going to be “normal” as we knew it. You have to prepare for the new post-pandemic reality. What can you expect from it and how to be ready?
Online services and eCommerce
It’s highly likely that during the period of being on self-isolation, more and more people got a taste of shopping online and other online services. And we can hardly expect them to stop relying on digital services any time soon. It’s just more convenient. Even generations that were skeptical before about getting things done online had to try them at some point while #StayingAtHome. They might have changed their attitude.
So even when the quarantine is over, more people will probably be buying and getting things including groceries delivered online, and eCommerce, in general, might see new audiences among active users.
We can expect people preferring online stores to physical stores even more.
This also means that services that rely on face-to-face contact will have to adapt to new realities and find ways to successfully operate and engage with their customers online.
Official meetings are held on platforms like Zoom. Contracts are getting signed online. Overall, that’s a big shift, and it means that eCommerce and other online services will most probably be flooded with new audiences that previously preferred physical locations and face-to-face communication. Thankfully, there are ready online marketing solutions for online stores that can the whole process of transition or starting an online store much easier
Online services need rework
COVID-19 has been extremely tough for businesses that focus on H2H services. Educational centers, bars, gyms, and other businesses had to adapt to the new situation in order to survive. Some couldn’t make it, and the consequences are devastating.
There are some online learning and fitness courses, but the huge numbers of recent active users helped to discover some of the imperfections of excising online platforms.
An interface that is not user-friendly and accessible. Slow websites when the traffic is high. Some platforms were basically not ready for regular usage.
If you don’t want to lose your old and potential clients, your apps and your website should be running smoothly. You might also want to make sure that your hosting can handle high traffic.
Human resource is also a part of the picture. If you are starting to consult your clients via Skype, your employees should be aware of how to use the app to provide an exceptional experience.
Increased foot traffic for physical locations
This shouldn’t come as a surprise, but when the quarantine is over, a LOT of people will go out to the streets and invade cafes, tourist sights, attractions, as well as cinemas that they couldn’t access previously.
So businesses with physical locations should be prepared for an extreme increase in foot traffic especially in the first couple of weeks after the quarantine is over. Handling requires some planning. Nobody wants to wait in endless lines and seeing the product they came for being sold out. No planning is a perfect recipe to get bad reviews.
Change in consumers’ attitude
Some businesses have noticed that it has become harder to reach their audience. Others stopped marketing altogether.
Consumers may have less money to spend, but there is another factor that shouldn’t be ignored. Just think of your own Insta feed or Stories. There are is so much advertising that you, most of the time, automatically scroll past them without noticing them. Since people are exposed to huge amounts of information and messages on every platform, they become in a way ‘immune’ to most of the old marketing tricks. Now, consumers think twice before clicking anything.
Marketers will have to change their approach and be innovative. Who knows maybe right now is the best time to test new tactics for marketing your businesses on social media?
Email and pay-per-click marketing both require a major overhaul. Marketers have to add more personalization and work out ways to avoid annoying their audience with clichés and dated stereotypes. After all, it is people who are seeing your ad.
Perfect moment to get ahead of competition
Many businesses are struggling and even shutting down during the pandemic.
If you are one of the lucky (or smart) ones, and your business is still operating, then you should consider adding changes to your marketing strategy to maximize your growth.
Some consumers may have lost their previous provider, so it’s the perfect time for you to be more visible. Consider what you can add to your SEO and marketing efforts to reach your maximum audience.
One of the main focuses of post-COVID-19 marketing should obviously be innovations, personalization, and a strong online presence. Your website promo or landing page should speak to your customers avoiding clichés and respecting them. All this requires learning, diving deep into marketing, researching your audience, and experimenting.
